The Devil Wears a Ring
by MikuLovesBakura
Summary: Before Yugi solved the Millenium Puzzle, Ryou Bakura held the Millenium Ring. This story is a prequel to Yu-Gi-Oh, following Yusuke Takinawa and his friends who search for the mysteries of the devil who wore the ring.
1. Chapter 1

_**The Devil Wears a Ring**_

Prologue

Usually scary stories would start on a dark and stormy night. If you're looking for that in a story, then too bad, so sad. This story starts with my sister's bitching. But before that, I'd like to ask you a question. Do you know..._his_ name? I'm sure you've heard his name once or twice. Well, of course you've heard his name! If you haven't, then I don't see why you're here. You know him typically as " Yugi Mutou" , but truly, he is known as the boy with two souls; one light, and one dark… the one and only "King of Games". The two souls are ever so devoted to each other, with the two of them being best friends and all. (What an unusual position to be best friends with yourself, is it not?) I know a boy who's just like that, but unfortunately, he is _not_ best friends with the dark soul. No, it's the complete opposite, actually. This boy's alternate personality is a cruel, sadistic monster. He is known as the "King of Thieves ". The amount of blood he has shed is uncanny, and I wish I had never met this demon. I admit it's tragic what has happened to him to make him act this way. But, it's too late to change things now. Insanity has taken him over, along with revenge and evil, and there's no sense in trying to change his ways. All there's left to do with him now is to get him out of the body that obviously doesn't belong to him. He's quite girly looking, I must say, and it's very awkward for me to say that he scared me so much…I thought he was the devil.

_**Chapter 1**_

"Hey dumb-ass, wake up! "

What? Did she just call me dumb-ass? Well, I can't say I didn't expect it - nothing less from my older sister Emiko. She slapped me around at the bright and early time of 5:37A.M.

"What the hell, Emiko?! It's not even six yet!" I yelled in my sister's face.

"Don't you 'What the hell' me, lazy-ass! It's your turn to make breakfast, and I'm starving!" she replied in that loud, bitchy voice that she knows I hate.

I grunted as I stumbled out of bed, brushing my teeth and combing my hair. I walked into the kitchen and turned the stove on. Eggs sizzled onto the surface after I turned on the television.

"…No one knows the cause of this, but the three teenagers are in coma after a night of gaming with a friend…" The female news reporter was going on about another tragedy yet again, and I didn't give a damn about it. I hate seeing these stupid tragedies everyday on TV, the first thing I wake up. It's depressing, and I don't want my day to be filled with depressing thoughts! Don't these people realize that? Good God, the world's going to hell these days.

I didn't realize how right I was.

"Make sure that bacon's BURNT, got it? I like it crispy! " Emiko yelled from the table.

"Yeah, yeah…" _God_, she's such nagger. Her bitching is never-ending, I swear. Hey, you know what I just realized? I haven't told you my name yet. I'm Yusuke Takinawa. Pleased to meet you. I have plain black hair and brown eyes that don't really stand out, but I'm not bad looking guy. I'm an average freshman at Sakuraba High School. I'm usually never one to be bullied, and I have excellent grades, if I do say so myself. And the best thing of all - I'm best friends with a bunch of beautiful girls. Yeah. My life is AWESOME! Not to toot my own horn or anything, but if you were a teenage boy in my position, I think you'd be pretty happy too. Although my mother is always off on trips with her boyfriend, (and she leaves me in the hands of that bitch) I maintain the house pretty well by myself. Emiko is a senior at my school and she's pretty popular with the good looks she inherited from our father. (Damn it Dad, why couldn't you make me attractive? At least a little bit better than the average man…)

As soon as I finished the unbelievably crappy breakfast I made, I ran outside to go to school.

"Sis, your bra's showing. Shove it in your uniform, would 'ya?" I said, pointing at Emiko's chest.

"Who said I didn't plan on showing my bra?" she said with a wink.

"_Ew…." _

What did I tell you? She's the school slut.

Off she went, walking like a prostitute in the night. As for me, I ran into a girl in my school's female uniform. This woman looked like an ANGEL. Her delicate, silky brown hair tied in pigtails with green plaid ribbons tied to each one fluttered aimlessly in the wind. Her pale white skin went perfectly with her big, shiny chocolate brown eyes. Upon her upper body was the dark green jacket with the white plaid ribbon sitting on chest, along with a frilly skirt that matched her plaid ribbon. This heavenly girl was Ai Mazaki, one of the beautiful girls I was telling you about. Honestly, I've had a crush on this girl since I was five. (I think all the boys did.) I'm just too stupid to ask her out.

"Good morning, Yusuke-san," Ai said to me in that angelic voice of hers.

Mourning indeed, when I just can't have her - wait, pretend I didn't say that…

"G-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-" Me, being the idiot I am, only stuttered to the angel in front of me. _Damn you, Yusuke! Say something!_

"I think dumb-ass here is trying to say 'Good Morning'."

I turned to see yet another beautiful teenage girl behind me, a girl who had put her hand on my left shoulder. She had long, shiny black hair tied back into a ponytail. She didn't wear the green jacket, nor the ribbon, and only her white blouse was showing. She did wear the plaid skirt, although it was cut short by scissors more than likely. It was Shinko Takahashi, one of a pair of beautiful twins. Shinko was the tougher twin who had a tendency to swear, but she was the type who wouldn't let some a-hole push her or her friends around.

"You're the second person today to call me dumb-ass, Shinko-chan," I said as I glared back at her.

"Congratulations! Get three more people to call you that and you've broken the record!" Shinko said with an evil look upon her face.

I reminded myself that a true man does not hit a girl. But I was thinking of breaking that rule, starting now…

"Now, now, Shinko, Yusuke is _not_ a dumb-ass. Have you seen his grades? "

Nozomi Takahashi, Shinko's clever sister, came up behind Shinko. She was dressed in the proper uniform like Ai's. Nozomi, of course, looked exactly like Shinko, except her black hair only reached her shoulders, and she wore a couple of white bobby pins here and there.

"Silly Nozomi! Everyone knows Yusuke is the KING of dumb-asses! It must be a disease or something, man. I'm so sorry for you."

You know what? Forget what I said about me not being bullied.

Ai blushed and put on her adorable "angry" face.

"S-STOP CALLING HIM THAT! THAT'S NOT A NICE WORD!" Ai yelled with her fists clenched.

Shinko put her hands on her ears in annoyance. "God, do you realize how loud you're being at 7:00 AM, damn it?!" she yelled.

Ai put her hands on her mouth in embarrassment. " Oh! I'm…I'm sorry! I didn't realize how loud I was…"

Ai frowned and looked depressed.

_And for making her sad, Shinko, I'll make sure you die a virgin._

"Come on, you guys. Let's get to school before we're late," Nozomi said.

Everybody moved along the sidewalk to the school where the cherry blossoms bloomed into the cool, spring air. Ai caught a petal in her hands.

"Ah! How pretty!" she exclaimed.

_Not as pretty as you…_

What am I thinking? Is this some stupid shojo manga or something? It might as well be, I guess.

_Come on, Yusuke! Ask her out!_

"A-Ai-chan…" I muttered.

"Yes, Yusuke?" Ai replied.

"Would you…uh…um…bla…bleh…"

"W-What are you saying, Yusuke? " Ai said, confused.

SPIT IT OUT, DAMMIT!

"Would you like to –"

Just as I finally got the courage to say the words, the school bell rang, and all of my dreams shattered like glass.

"We'll have to save this for later, Yusuke! Let's go, or we'll be late!" Ai said, running.

As I ran to class, I knew the third person calling me dumb-ass would be I.

_YUSUKE, YOU PATHETIC DUMB-ASS!_

As I sat in my chair and put things into my desk, I noticed some of the girls in my class were being even more eccentric than usual.

"Did you see him? He's ADORABLE!" one girl screeched.

"Yeah! He's hot! I totally dig him!" another squeaked.

"He looks like a girl. " One girl commented, which turned the fan-girling into silence.

But it came right back when HE walked into the room.

"God, I hate fan-girls…" Shinko moaned.

"Alright, settle down, girls. Get back to your seats," the teacher said.

"Today, we have a new student in our class. His name is…"

I looked at the boy who stood in front of the class. He wore the proper school male uniform; a dark green jacket with matching pants and a white plaid tie. His eyes were brown and his skin was pale.

And his hair? It was this pure, snow white color and it was so long that it went down to his elbows. (Seriously?! White hair?! Was he an albino or something?!) And, just as the girl had said, he looked VERY MUCH like a girl. But, I've got to admit, he was way better looking than the average teenager. And what in the world was this boy's name?

"… Ryou Bakura." the teacher said.

Bakura smiled and said, "Hello! Nice to meet you all! "

And on that day, I became a character in his story. And now…I really don't want to be. (Seriously. SEND HELP. ) Ryou Bakura…._who_ are you?

_To be continued_

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, or any of its associated characters.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Damn," Shinko said as she looked at the student at the front of the class. What? Did she think he was hot or something? Usually, with pretty boys like this guy, Shinko would choose to make fun of him.

"Shinko…you don't like him, do you?" I asked my sister.

"Who the hell said I liked him? I was implying that he looks like a woman! I mean, seriously! It's quite astounding! Mother nature must be confused…" Shinko said, making it very clear to me that that Bakura boy looked like a girl.

Excuse my sibling, she tends to make people uncomfortable sometimes. I'm Nozomi Takahashi, her twin sister. I'm the one with short hair, and she's the one with the long hair usually tied up in a ponytail. Anyways, I think you were expecting Yusuke to narrate the story, right? Well, we'll be alternating between each other during the story. For now, I'll tell the story from my point of view…

I turned to my right, and I saw Ai gazing at Bakura lovingly. She's turned into one of them, I suppose…

"We've lost her." Shinko said, looking my way.

I looked at Yusuke. He looked like he was going to wrap his hands around Bakura's neck until he stopped breathing. Jealousy's a scary thing…

And so, Bakura sat in a chair next to one of the windows, and all of the females in the classroom stared at him. (Except for me. Don't get the wrong idea-I looked at him because I wanted to see where he sat! I'm not one of his fan-girls! I SWEAR!) Class started, and the teacher rambled on about the Rose Crusades or something…what do you care? You probably got enough education during school anyways! Personally, I think history should go-

"Nozomi, would you translate this for me?" The teacher, Mr. Sonozaki, asked.

Dear sir, I can't recognize most of the words in the Japanese vocabulary as it is. What makes you think I can speak in English any better?

" 'Rose by…by…'-hey, wait a minute! This is supposed to be history class!" I yelled at the teacher.

He snorted. "Just trying to see if you were paying attention. And apparently, you aren't." Mr. Sonozaki said with a smile.

The whole class laughed. I know the guy wasn't trying to be mean, but I hate it when people mock me, more than anything else. After class, I tried to move on to the next period, but I couldn't. Why? BECAUSE OF EFFING FANGIRLS! They wouldn't move out of the way because of that kid! No matter how hard I pushed and yelled, no one would move, damn it! Does this guy realize the traffic he's making?!

"Excuse me! Hey! Move, please! WHOA-GET YOUR HAND OFF OF THERE!" I said as I pushed myself through the crowd.

"Hey! Everybody wants to see Bakura-kun, so wait your turn!" One of the girls yelled at me.

"Why the ever-loving hell would I try to get in that MOB?! I'm just trying to get to my next class, but I can't even make it to the damn door! So, do me a favor and MOVE!" I yelled into the girl's face while waving my hands in the air.

The girl looked frightened and turned away from me to rejoin the crowd of fan-girls around Bakura. I have that effect on people, you know. Suddenly, a foot from the crowd of girls popped out, and I tripped over it. I could've cracked my skull if I hadn't put my hands out. Then, behind me, I heard evil snickering.

"Hey, what was that for?!" I yelled.

The girl who had purposefully stuck her foot out for me to trip on was Yomi Kagami, a bully I have been dealing with since kindergarten. Yomi had shiny and curly bleach blond hair that was in a ponytail today. She wore a pair of modern looking glasses that complemented her snobby look. She had hazel eyes and pale white skin, and she wore the proper girl's uniform.

"So, how's fat-ass doing today?" Yomi snickered.

When she laughed, her little underlings laughed with her.

"Yomi, not now…" I growled.

"Do I have to repeat myself? I said, 'How is fat-ass?' Answer me!" Yomi yelled as she pulled me up by my hair.

"Ow…" I mumbled. In my pain, I looked around to others for help. Yusuke and Shinko were already on their way to class, and Ai was standing outside in the hallway talking to some of her friends. The fangirls were just too busy with that stupid kid to help, and everyone else just sat there and stared. They looked like they wanted to help, but they just turned away in fear of suffering the same fate. What is happening to schools these days? It's not a place to be educated anymore-it's turning into a little slice of hell! These bastards turn it into a prison! It's supposed to be the place where kids can get a life and make it into something, but they make it into a place where you're forced to be hurt everyday for no good reason! Well, you know what? I'm going to set an example for everybody! I'm gonna stand up to this bitch, and she's not gonna bother me anymore!

I slapped her hand away from mine, and everyone gasped in shock.

"Get your dirty hands away from me, you damn bitch." I said, with fear in my voice.

Yomi looked at me in surprise, as if no one had ever fought back at her before. Probably, no one ever has. I think I'm the first. I tried pushing another response out of my mouth, but it was hard. I was so scared, I was shaking. But I tried to look as calm as possible.

"I'm sick and tired of dealing with you everyday…everyone else is too! No one cares about your loud opinions that you bitch about everyday!"

Yomi looked around in confusion. She looked like she was trying think of a good comeback, but I cut her off before she could say anything.

"You know, just because someone hurt you doesn't mean you have to hurt everyone around you! If you've experienced the pain of bullying, then you would never want ANYONE to feel that horrible pain, right?"

Yomi looked like she could start crying any moment now.

"I guess I'm wrong, because you obviously don't care that so many people around you cry and beg for mercy everyday, huh? And you don't feel bad for any of that? You don't hurt inside? I guess that's not a surprise, because you're a heartless bitch!"

After I was done with my speech, everybody stood there dumbfounded. They all stood open mouthed in awe, and I think I did too. Even the fangirls stopped and listened! Damn… did I just say all of that? OUTLOUD?!

Then, to my surprise, someone spoke up.

"Yeah…I'm sick of it too! Nobody wants to hear you say that shit!" A boy at the back of the class said.

I smiled and blushed. I think I'm getting somewhere…

"Exactly! We're tired of you pushing us all around!" A girl squeaked out.

"Yeah!" Her friend agreed.

And before I knew it, the whole class gave Yomi Kagami the coldest stares that they could give.

Yomi was shaking. She staggered back and fell on her butt. Her face had a look of distortion on it as she stood up, and she ran out of the classroom sobbing.

I was so awestruck, that I didn't know what to do. I just stood there and stared. Until…I jumped at the sudden sound of cheering and clapping. I turned to see the class was applauding me.

"Damn! I didn't know you had it in ya, Nozomi-san! But that was awesome!" One boy yelled.

"You're amazing! I couldn't have done that in a million years, but you did it!" A girl said to me.

"You totally told that bitch off! It was so cool!" Another boy yelled.

While such comments were said to me, I was too shocked to say anything. But since I had so many people thanking for doing this act, I guess…

"I DID IT! I ACTUALLY DID IT!" I cried while jumping up and down.

As everyone laughed at my reaction, I felt like I had just lifted off a million pounds. The horrible burden of Yomi's bullying disappeared once and for all for me, and I think it did for everyone else, too.

Then, I suddenly remembered something-CLASS. I looked at the clock, and I literally had only one minute to get to my next period.

"SHIT!" I yelled as I grabbed my things and ran. As I ran, I heard everyone call out to me.

"Bye, Nozomi-san! Thank you!" A girl yelled as she waved to me.

"Be careful, you bad-ass!" A boy yelled to me with a wink.

I stopped and stared at them all for a moment. I realized that I think…I made a change today. I think I've become a little bit more, oh, I don't know…strong.

"OH, CRAP!" I yelled as the thought of being late for class crossed my mind again. I started running again-and then I was suddenly stopped.

"Excuse me," Someone behind me said.

"I'm sorry, but we'll have to save it for later! I'm gonna be late if I don't hurry-" I said, but when I turned to see who it was, it was what's-his-face! I mean, Bakura-kun.

"Yes? Do you need something?" I asked.

"No, I just wanted to say…that was very brave of you." He said.

I blushed. Wait, why am I blushing? Damn it, Nozomi! Don't be like those other girls! You just CAN'T do that…

"Um…you think so? I just…couldn't put up with her anymore. I know it was kind of mean, but…" I mumbled.

"No! She talked to me this morning, and she acted kind to me, but she was so rude to the other girls…" He said.

"Really? That's not good. I guess she won't do it again, will she?" I asked.

Bakura nodded. "Yeah," He said.

We both just stood there for a moment. It was...awkward. I didn't know what to say, and I guess he didn't either.

And finally, the bell rang. I jumped in surprise to the sound, and I think I crapped my pants.

"S-Sorry! I have to go! See you later!" I yelled to him.

"Me too!" Bakura said. "Wait, what's your name?"

"Nozomi Takahashi! You're Ryou Bakura, right?" I managed to say.

"Yeah! See you later!" He replied.

"Bye!" I said as I ran down the hallway, waving to him.

He seems like a nice kid. Maybe he isn't as stupid as I thought he was. (The fan-girls would kill me if they heard me say that out loud.) But, for some reason or the other, I was kind of scared of him when I first saw him. Why, I wonder? What reason would I have to be scared of him? What, is he going to bite me? Is he going to swallow my soul or something? Good god, Nozomi…

As I ran down the hallway, almost to my classroom, I suddenly felt uneasy…want to know why? One of the most horrifying things in the world happened to me…I left my homework at home.

OH, SHIT.

To be cont'd...


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"AH, CRAP!" Shinko yelled.

"Nozomi, Shinko's swearing again!" Ai said.

"Crap isn't a swear! It's the name of the man who created the modern toilet!" Shinko replied.

"Really? What's his entire name?" Nozomi asked.

"Uh…um…erm…I forget." Shinko said, scratching her head.

"Of course not." Nozomi said, giving herself a face-palm.

"But I do know his last name- "Crapper", as I recall, and he made the modern toilet that we use to flush our, you know- CRAP. And that's why we call the toilet the crapper!" Shinko explained.

All of us just sat there and stared at her. We were all surprised to hear Shinko's unusual knowledge of toilets.

"Well, you're just chock-full of information, aren't you?" Nozomi said, sarcastically.

"It's nice to know that people appreciate my intelligence!" Shinko said.

Obviously, Shinko doesn't know what sarcasm is.

Hi, this is Yusuke again. I haven't accomplished anything today, to start off. I left my homework at home, I embarrassed myself in front of a bunch of girls, and, unfortunately…it looks like the rest of my life is screwed, too. That Bakura kid stole the heart of pretty much every girl in the school. (Especially Ai's. That bastard…) So, I guess I'll be stuck as a virgin until the day I die…

"Hey, Nozomi! I heard you gave Yomi-chan a verbal bitch slap!" Shinko said as she wrapped her arm around Nozomi.

Nozomi blushed. "What?! No! That's not how it was at all…" She said.

"Really? Well, from what I heard, that seems to be the case!" Shinko chuckled. " 'Get your dirty hands away from me, you damn bitch!' "

Nozomi blushed even more. She looked like she was about to release all hell upon Shinko's soul, but she stopped to ask, "-Wait, did you say I gave her a verbal bitch slap?" Nozomi tilted her head in confusion.

"Well, yeah! That little speech you gave her was as bad as a bitch slap, yet, you didn't. So-verbal bitch slap!" Shinko said with a smile.

"Oh, god…" I mumbled.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the fan-girls surround Bakura-san. I couldn't see his face, but I bet he was enjoying the ever-loving hell out of this day. He's just mocking all of the men in this school, isn't he? 'Yeah, I'm prettier than you. What of it?' Why, you cocky little-

"Hey, girls! I got an idea!" Shinko said, walking up to the crowd of girls and interrupting my train of thought.

"Why don't you go buy some lunch for Bakura, eh? I bet he'd like that."

All of the faces in that crowd suddenly lit up. The girls then ran as fast as they could, tripping over each other while trying to get out of the door.

"Hey, get off!" One girl screeched.

"Move! I'll get it for him!" Another girl yelled.

"No, I'll get it! He likes me better!" A girl yelled to another.

As I watched in horror, I realized something very important; Fan-girls are the most powerful forces the world has ever encountered.

"Thank god," Shinko sighed. "Now, you…"

As Shinko turned to face Bakura, he jumped in fear of being attacked again. Shinko laughed.

"Jeez, kid! You act like someone just jack-slapped you!" She said.

I looked around the classroom and saw that a couple of boys were scattered around the room. Some were talking to each other, some eating lunch. No fan-girls. Thank god. Since the cafeteria was on the other side of the school, three floors down, they probably wouldn't be back for at least ten minutes. Especially with that monster of a crowd.

Ai, Nozomi, Shinko, and I were standing around Bakura's desk. Shinko held out her hand to Bakura. "Hi, I'm Shinko Takahashi. These are my friends-my twin sister, Nozomi…" Nozomi waved at Bakura and he waved back at her. Did they already meet? "…my other female friend Ai Mazaki…" Before finishing her sentence, Shinko turned her head towards me and smiled evilly.

"…and this is King Dumb-ass!" She said while she pointed her thumb towards me.

Bakura sat there confused. "Excuse me? He's what now?" He asked.

"You heard me! He's the one and only! Now, start treating him like a king! Bow down to his royal majesty!" Shinko joked.

Shinko, for the love of god above in heaven and all of the participants in the bible-

"…Yusuke Takinawa. Nice to meet you." I said as I tried to pull out a good smile.

"Hello…" Bakura replied.

Shinko rolled her eyes. "Sure, fine. You can call him that if you really want to, but remember, you have to treat dumb-asses with tender care. They can't understand sarcasm and they certainly cannot give you a straight-forward answer without stuttering or shaking."

I growled at Shinko in anger, and she gave me a smile and a thumbs up. Nozomi gave herself another face-palm and Ai stood there just as confused as Bakura was.

Shinko pulled out a chair and starting talking to Bakura.

"So, where are 'ya from?" She asked.

Bakura seemed uncomfortable with that question at first, but sat up and answered it. "I lived in Tokyo before, but then I moved here." He said.

"What school did you go to?" Shinko further questioned him.

"S-Suzumiya High…" He muttered, again having trouble answering the question.

Shinko seemed to notice Bakura's nervousness. "Something wrong?" She asked.

"…What? No! Of course not, I'm just fine!" He replied.

"If you think I'm here only because I want to make sweet love to you, then no. I came here-no-we came here to talk to you. You know-as friends." Shinko explained.

Bakura blinked, then responded quickly. "I-I see. Okay…" He said.

The girls smiled, and I guess I did too.

Nozomi decided to cut into the conversation. "Do you have a favorite movie? A book? Or maybe a game?" She asked.

Bakura seemed to lighten up when Nozomi asked that question. "Well, I like a game called 'Monster World'. Have you ever heard of it?" He asked.

Before anybody else could reply to that question, Nozomi squealed with delight. "OH. MY. GOD. YOU LIKE…MONSTER WORLD?" She asked in awe.

Bakura giggled. "Yes. Do you like it too?" He asked.

"DO I LIKE IT…" Nozomi said.

"Nozomi is the biggest RPG nerd I have ever met. Her favorite is Monster World, and at this point, I have learned that she just might love this game more than her very life." Shinko pointed out.

"OH. MY. GOD." Nozomi said.

"…and she has the hardest time finding another person who isn't a complete perverted weirdo who also loves the game. So, you are more than likely going to be her future husband. I wonder what you'll name your children?..." Shinko continued.

Bakura blushed, and Nozomi slapped her sister on the head.

"OW! That hurt, damn it! Besides, I was just giving a prediction of the future! What's not to like about that?" Shinko said while rubbing the bump on her head.

As Nozomi sighed in frustration, she continued to ask Bakura about this unusual game that I have never heard of before. Is it that fun?

"I absolutely love that game! But since it's so expensive, and my allowance is so small, I don't have too many pieces…What about your set? Is it better or worse?" Nozomi asked.

"Well, I guess it's not too bad…" Bakura said.

"I'd like to see it sometime! Do you wanna play one day? I bet you're an awesome player!" Nozomi said cheerfully.

Bakura hesitated yet again. What was he so nervous about? Was it being around new people? Did he think we wouldn't be his friends because he was weird? I wonder why…he doesn't seem strange or rude. Maybe he's not a cocky little pretty boy brat after all.

"S-Sure. Maybe some time this week." He responded.

Nozomi jumped up and down. "Cool! That would be so awesome! Thank you!" She said.

Shinko snickered and nudged Nozomi with her elbow. "Are you sure you're not becoming one of his fan-girls? Eh, Nozomi?" Shinko joked.

"SHINKO…" Nozomi growled.

Ai and Bakura laughed, and I sighed at the sheer horror of today. I'm surprised I haven't dropped out of this place already! This place is dangerous, what, with all of the girly albinos and crazy fan-girls running around all over the place. Speaking of fan-girls, I heard the sound of multiple feet thumping upon the ground on the floor below us. Here they come…

"Hey, if you wanna make it out of this school alive today, I suggest that you make a run for it while you still can. I think they might be on their way by now." I said to Bakura.

He gasped and ran to the door. Before he ran for his life, he turned to us. "Goodbye! Nice meeting you all!" He said as he smiled.

"Bye! See you later!" Nozomi said.

We all waved goodbye-until we saw Bakura trip and fall in the hallway.

"It's…it's okay! I'm fine!" He said as he recollected the books he had dropped. "Bye!"

I smiled at little bit. Guess he wasn't Ms.-I mean-Mr. Perfect after all. He's actually a little spaz. Though, I have to wonder; why did he choose to grow his hair out like that? It's an interesting look, I suppose, but…why? And more importantly, why did he have such a hard time talking to us? I guess it's because he's in a new place with new people in it. Anyone would be nervous about something like that, right?

Or….maybe he's an alien visiting Earth learning about the way of the humans. Or, maybe he's a time-traveler from the future. He could be an esper, or a slider, or a vampire, or a ghost, or a fairy, or…ah, just forget about it. I watch too much TV. Not every new student that waltzes in here is, well…something that's not human. Of course he's not, Yusuke! Why would you think that? God, I'm such an idiot…it's not like my life is some epic tale of magic and war. I'm just another human struggling to survive. Yep. Just another boring human leading another boring life…

At the end of the day, I walked outside to a sun setting beautifully in the horizon…until I heard two girls arguing with each other. Come on! Can't I enjoy a peaceful moment alone for once?!

When turned to see who was making all the fuss, I saw Nozomi and Shinko yelling at each other. Oh, god. What now? Oh, wait. Let me guess-

"Shinko poured ice-cold water down my bra!"

"Nozomi says that I have the IQ points of an ant!"

"Shinko taped a 'Kick Me' sign on my back!"

"Nozomi ate the last popsicle!"

Why do I only hang out with women? I ask myself this question constantly…

I walked over and asked the twins what was wrong this time. Then, I noticed Nozomi was crying. Damn, this is serious! Nozomi never cries! You'd have to break her ribs to make her cry! What the hell did Shinko do to her?!

"Shinko…she…she…" Before Nozomi could answer, she broke out into a loud sob and started crying.

Shinko had a horribly guilty look upon her face. You could tell could tell she was ashamed of something, but she tried to hide it.

"Nozomi! Calm down and tell me what's wrong!" I yelled as I grasped her hands.

"Shinko…oh, Shinko…she…" Nozomi stuttered as she wiped away her tears.

"I saw her steal money from my bag…she tried to take all of it! There was over a hundred dollars in there! And my own sister tried to STEAL my money! My own sister!" Nozomi yelled.

"What?!" I looked at Shinko, who wasn't saying anything. I couldn't believe it-Shinko? Stealing money from someone? And not just anybody-Nozomi, her own sister? What the hell was going on here?!

"Shinko…why?!" I asked in utter confusion.

Shinko sat there with that ugly, dirty look on her face. She just didn't have the strength to say anything more.

"Damn it, Shinko! Answer me! Why the hell would you do something like that to your own sister?!" I yelled at her.

Suddenly, to me and Nozomi's surprise, tears began to roll down Shinko's face. She let out a sob.

"I'm…so…sorry…" She slowly let out between sobs.

Then, Shinko ran away down the sidewalk as fast as she possibly could.

"WAIT! SHINKO!" I yelled.

But it was too late. She was gone. Damn, that girl is fast…

"I'm sorry about this, Yusuke. I didn't mean to drag you into this…" Nozomi said as she slowly started crying again. She cupped her hands and held her face. Nozomi slid down to the ground and fell on her knees. She sat on the ground bawling her eyes out.

I wasn't sure what to do. I had never dealt with a girl this miserable before-well, I guess it was pretty bad when Emiko started her period for the first time-but other than that, I just didn't have real experience with someone this sad. How should I comfort her?

Not sure what to do, I knelt down next to her. Come on, Yusuke! This will be good experience for the near future when you have a girlfriend who needs the comfort of a man to stop her crying!

"Oh, Yusuke…" Nozomi sobbed.

"It's okay…" I said as I rubbed her back.

Nozomi continued to cry. Um…what should I do now?

Just as I thought that, someone walked by us. It was a woman who looked like she was in her mid-twenties. She was young looking, but not young enough to be a student who would go to a high school. She could be a teacher on her way home, but with the outfit she was wearing, I don't think she could have taught at my school-much less ANY school, for that matter-

She had long, silky, black hair that reached below her waist. She had tall, black boots that on her feet. She wore a black shirt with a leather jacket over it. On her waist was a frilly black skirt with skull and crossbones designs all over it. She also wore a ridiculous amount of chains and buckles all over the place. One around her neck, some on her wrists for bracelets, some as belts that went around her waist. She wore a panther print scarf over her shoulders, and a pair of black sunglasses that looked like they were made for eyes that were really sensitive around the sun. Almost as strange as her outfit was the umbrella she carried. It was black (like everything else) and its edges were lined with black lace.

"What the-" I said as I stared at this strange woman.

The strange woman giggled softly and put her finger on her mouth.

"Shh," Was the only thing she said to me.

As she walked past me, I smelled the distinct smell of…

…blood.

What the hell?!

"HEY!" I yelled as I stood up and turned in the direction where the woman had walked past me. But to my surprise, she disappeared.

"What's wrong, Yusuke-san?..." Nozomi asked in confusion.

I hadn't realized that I had jumped out of Nozomi's arms.

OH…SHIT.

DAMN IT, YUSUKE! YOU'RE IN THE ARMS OF A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN AND YOU STUPIDLY JUST JUMP OUT OF THEM! YOU STUPID MORON! YOU REALLY ARE GOING TO BE A VIRGIN FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, AREN'T YOU?!

"Sorry Nozomi, I-" I said before I was cut off.

"-No, I'm sorry, Yusuke. I didn't mean for you to be dragged into all of this. Thank you for being there for me, though. You're a good friend, you know that?" Nozomi said as she stood up, wiping off the remaining tears on her face. "See you tomorrow, okay?"

I stood there, not knowing what to say. "Yeah," I quickly responded.

"Goodnight," Nozomi said innocently, waving goodbye.

"'Night," I said, waving back.

Poor Nozomi. I've never seen her cry that much before-in fact, I don't think I've ever seen her cry at all. Her situation is pretty bad. How bad would it be to live with the girl who tried to steal money from you? Damn, I pity the poor girl. Seriously, I thought Shinko was better than this! I know she teases me a lot, but that's her way of saying I'm her friend! Come on, Shinko! Stealing money from your sister? What happened to make you like this? What?...

…And who the hell was that lady, anyways?! She looked like some kind stupid vampire wannabe! I don't understand why people still dress like that! They look like idiots, for god's sake! And that blood smell? All I have to say is…she must be trying really hard at that vampire thing.

To be cont'd...


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Two days after that…"accident", I went to school depressed, even with the time that has passed. I can't look Shinko in the face anymore. We haven't spoken a word to each other ever since she tried to steal money from me. I don't think that I will ever forgive her for doing that. Our parents keep asking, "What's wrong?" but never seem to give them an answer. What should I do?...

"Hey," Someone behind me said as that person put their hand on my shoulder.

"EEEEEK!" I screeched as I slapped the person behind me.

"OW! OH MY GOSH, THAT HURT!" The person said.

"Oops…" I was embarrassed to say that I slapped the face of Ryou Bakura. Uh…awkward…

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry! I thought you were a groper or something!"

"It's…it's okay…I shouldn't have surprised you like that…" He said as he rubbed his pain filled face.

"No, it's NOT okay! I shouldn't go around slapping people like that…"

I said.

Bakura stopped rubbing his face and smiled at me. "It's fine! You were just frightened, that's all." He said.

Good god, Nozomi! Why did you do that?! Do you know how hard it's going to be now to talk to the boy? He won't want to hang out with a girl who slaps anyone who wants to talk to her!

"I'm sorry…it won't happen again, I promise!" I said.

Bakura laughed. "You promise?"

"Of course! If I ever hurt you again, feel free to kick the crap out of me! I deserve it!" I promised. "Pinky-promise on it!"

"Eh?" Bakura said in confusion.

"Sorry if it seems weird, but with promises, I've always felt that pinky-promises have always sealed the deal, you know?" I explained as I held out my pinky to Bakura.

Seriously. Nozomi. You're acting like a five year-old. He's not gonna do this and why? BECAUSE ONLY FIVE YEAR-OLDS DO THIS!

But to my surprise, he joined his pinky with mine.

"Promise." He said happily.

Aw…WAIT, HE ACTUALLY DID THAT? WHAT IS THIS WORLD COMING TO? THIS WORLD WHERE TEENAGERS STILL GIVE EACH OTHER PINKY-PROMISES?

"Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye!" I said, pointing to my right eye.

"No, don't do that!" Bakura said.

I giggled. "I hope I won't have to!"

As we walked down the school hallway, I suddenly remembered something.

"Oh yeah! Do you still want play Monster World this weekend?"

When I asked that question, Bakura's face seemed to lighten up.

"Sure! Maybe on Sunday?" He asked.

"Yeah!" I replied.

He then pulled out a piece of paper out of his bag and wrote his address on it.

"This is where I live. You can come over, say, around noon?"

Bakura said as he handed me the paper.

"Okay," I said, taking the paper.

Then, the bell rang for class.

"Oops, I've got to go!" I said, running.

"Yeah, me too! Bye!" Bakura yelled to me.

"Bye!" I yelled back.

When I got to my class, I saw Shinko sitting in her seat by the window. At first, she was looking in my direction, but quickly turned away when she saw that I had entered the room. But that didn't matter to me. She deserved whatever kind of pain she was feeling. Shinko betrayed me. She should be ashamed of herself.

When I went to go sit at my seat, I realized I was extremely lucky today. The teacher wasn't in the classroom yet…until she walked in.

"Hello, boys and girls!" The woman said.

Everyone in the room gasped at the sight of the strange looking woman who walked in. I know I did…

"My name is Asuka Kiyoteru, and I'll be your substitute teacher for today! Let's all get along, okay?" The substitute said, winking to the class.

The reason why everyone gasped when this woman walked in is because, well…she looked like a vampire threw up on her. She wore a sleek black pantsuit, and had black high heels on her feet that looked like they where some kind of horrible torture devices. She had chains going all the way around her waist, and she wore a black choker with a belt buckle on it. On her hands were black lacy fingerless gloves, and upon her chest was a tie that had a skull and crossbones mark on it. Her hair was long and black, and her skin was an unbelievably pale white shade. And her eyes? Dear god, please tell me those things were contacts-because her eyes were a deep red color, like the color of blood. So, pretty much, it looked like this woman came straight out of a bad "Twilight" fanfiction.

"Okay, so to start off today's class, we'll need to start on page one-seventeen in our Math textbooks…" Ms. Kiyoteru explained.

Although everyone was still in shock at the sight of this woman, we all did as she said and pulled out our Math textbooks.

When Ms. Kiyoteru tried to start the lesson, she had a hard time understanding the equations on the page.

"The square root of…what? What are square roots? Roots shaped like squares? There's no such thing! Besides, why are we talking about roots when this is Math class? This isn't Science!" Ms. Kiyoteru said as she tried extremely hard to understand the concept.

"Well, we didn't have square roots back in my day! In fact, men didn't even care to teach women at all! 'The less they know, the more you can take advantage of them!' they said! The bastards! But I knew better! I was a very well-educated woman, you know! I can multiply all of the tables and such, but now… what is THIS bullshit? Square roots? I've never heard of such a thing before!"

At that very moment, we all realized that this woman obviously didn't get out of the house much.

"You know what? Screw this!" The teacher said as she threw the book into the air. "Let's learn about something else! Like…"

Ms. Kiyoteru pulled a history book out of her desk.

"Oh. Well, this is convenient." She said as she flipped through the pages.

"OKAY! So, once upon a time, there was this guy in Egypt who tried to take over the country. The pharaoh wouldn't let him. There was a war. The asshole guy won. Egypt was then knee deep in shit. The end." The substitute explained as she apparently stopped on the chapter about ancient Egypt.

Everyone was silent. This woman was very…straightforward.

"Damn, school is boring. What do you kids come here for, anyways?"

Class ended with everyone as confused as hell, and I began to wonder why the school staff even hired that woman in the first place. Gotta admit though, she gave the class a new and unusual experience. I thought she was kind of funny, actually.

Before I went to my next class, the woman stopped me at the door.

"Hey, kid." She said.

"Yes ma'am?" I replied.

"What's your name?"

"Nozomi Takahashi."

What the hell did she want from me? She had better finish this quick, 'cuz I need to pee!

"In case you see me again, I'd like you to call me Asuka-chan. How about it?" She asked.

What? In case she saw me again? Is this woman stalking me or something? Did she substitute the teacher just so she could be near me?

"Um…sure, okay."

Asuka smiled. Her red eyes flickered in the light.

"Hey, are those things real?" I asked, pointing at her eyes.

Asuka looked confused. "What? Are my eyes real? Well, I'd believe so! If they weren't real, then I wouldn't be able to see, would I?" She said.

"Yeah, but…they're re-"

"Sorry, hon! I gotta make a run for it! But I'll see you later, okay?"

Asuka said, running out of the room.

"But wait!" I yelled to her.

But it was too late. When I tried following her, she disappeared mysteriously down the hallway. Damn, she's fast.

Days passed, and I woke up in my bed on a beautiful Sunday morning. I looked at the clock on my wall. 11:32, it read. Ah, crap. I think I'll be late for the game.

"Honey, you wanna get up?" My mother said, opening my bedroom door slightly.

"Yeah, I'm coming!" I said as I jumped out of bed.

I opened the closet door and pulled out some clothes; a purple t-shirt, some blue shorts, and a white belt. As I put my clothes on, I heard a soft pitter-patter noise on the roof; it was raining. And just when I thought this was going to be a pretty morning. Damn it…

I turned on my Ipod and connected it to my metallic pink headphones. I flipped through the songs, looking for something that would fit my mood-then I stopped on a song called "Headphone Actor".( Oh god, the irony. ) On my desk was a gold-colored house key that was hung on a string. I tied it around my neck and pressed play on the Ipod.

I walked down the stairs and into the kitchen, where my mother was. Father was at work, and Shinko was nowhere to be seen.

I set the headphones on my shoulders.

"Where's Shinko?" I asked my mother.

"She said she was meeting up with some friends." She replied.

Oh, so she was meeting up with some friends, eh? I bet she's trying to get her mind off of the little incident from a couple days ago. Hmph…

"Is there something wrong?" Mother asked.

"No, I'm fine. Don't worry about it." I said.

She frowned. "I've noticed that you two have grown apart lately. There's got to be something going on. Did you have a fight?"

I didn't answer her.

"Nozomi, remember. When Shinko was sad, you were always there for her." Mother said.

"Your point?" I asked.

"My point is," She continued to on, "that she was there for you as well. Almost as much as you were for her."

"But, mom…" I sighed.

"You and Shinko have a strong bond. A bond that should never be broken. So whatever fight you had, you should make up and get over it, Nozomi. I bet your sister feels horrible for whatever she did, and that's all that matters. If she feels bad about it, that means she cares about you." She explained.

"If she cared about me, then she wouldn't have done anything bad to me in the first place." I said as I turned away from my mother.

"Nozomi…"

I slipped on pink high-tops and a bright yellow rain jacket.

"I'll be home in time for dinner." I said as I walked out of the door.

"You said that you were going to play that game with a boy named Bakura, right?" Mother asked.

"Yeah…" It was one of the only things I was looking forward to today.

"Please be careful." She said to me.

"I will." I replied. I stepped back inside for a second and hugged her.

"I love you," I said. "See you later."

Mom smiled. "I love you too, honey. Have fun."

I smiled back at my mom and walked outside into the rain. The hood on my head poked at the white bobby pins in my bangs. One poked my left eye.

"Ow," I mumbled. I fixed my hair, and I was on my way to Bakura's house.

When I got there, it wasn't a house-it was an apartment building. It was pretty swanky, I admit. It must cost a fortune to stay in a place like this. Maybe he just has a small family, and maybe they can't afford a house. I wonder…

Up the stairs I went. One floor…two floors…three floors. His apartment was number 304. At first, I didn't realize 304 meant an apartment in an apartment building. Does he live alone? No…that couldn't be…but I guess it's a possibility…

I knocked on the door. "Hello? It's Nozomi!" I said.

I heard footsteps stomp on the floor, the sound getting closer and closer to the door. The door opened, and I saw Bakura standing in front of me.

"Hi! Come in!" He said.

"Alright! Let's get started…" I said as I walked into his apartment.

I took off my shoes and put on some slippers that were on the floor.

"Thanks for having me over," I said.

"No problem," Bakura replied.

I stood up off of the floor and looked at the room I was in.

"Damn…" I said as I looked at the room.

It was a very roomy apartment. On one side of the large room were some chairs, a couch, a TV, and a modern looking coffee table. On the other side of the room was a kitchen with marble countertops, and a clean white table with four chairs surrounding it.

"This place is really nice looking." I said.

"Thanks," Bakura said.

I wondered where his family was. I was about to ask him about it, but I decided to keep my mouth shut. It wasn't any of my business, anyways.

"Okay, this is where we'll be playing." Bakura said as he showed me into a new room in the apartment.

"Wow!" I looked at the room and saw a huge board sitting on a table just the right size for it. The board had everything that a Monster World set would need; castles, mountains, a village-this guy had it all.

I sat on a chair by the table and I pulled out the avatar I would use for the game out of my pocket.

"You ready?" I asked Bakura.

No response. I looked behind me and saw that Bakura was gone. Where did he go?

"Bakura?..." I called out to him again.

He came in with his hand on his forehead.

"Sorry, I went to go take some medicine. My head hurts really bad…" He said as he walked into the room.

"Uh-oh. Do you want to save the game for later?" I asked.

"No, it's fine. Let's get started." He said.

"If you say so…" I said.

He sat on chair at the other end of the table and we started the game.

"Looks like I'm on my own with this one, huh? It won't be an easy game, but I'll try." I said.

"Yeah…agh…" Bakura said as he held his head again.

"You know, it's okay. We don't have to do this today if you're not feeling well." I said.

He was silent for a moment. Did his head hurt that badly?

"Bakura?...hello? Are you in there?" I asked.

He still didn't say anything. His head still sat in his hands.

"Oh god, kid…are you…are you…come on, you can't be…" I mumbled in fear.

"OH MY GOD, ARE YOU DYING? ARE YOU DEAD? DON'T DIE ON ME, DAMN IT!" I yelled to him.

You know, looking back on it, I think I overreacted…

Finally, he lifted his head and opened his eyes.

"Huh?" I said, looking at him.

I looked at his face and I saw that he looked a little more…mature looking. There wasn't that shine in his eyes that they had had before.

"It's fine. I think I'm feeling a little better now." He said.

Uh…his voice…just got deeper…did he just go through puberty or something? Maybe when I wasn't looking?...THAT'S IT. PUBERTY IS A HEADACHE THAT YOU GET, AND SUDDENLY…that's the result, I guess. I guess this only happens to boys, 'cuz I sure didn't go through puberty like that.

"Are you…sure?" I asked. I didn't know why, but I was….frightened by him all of a sudden.

"Of course. I wouldn't lie to you." Bakura said.

He gave me a smile that scared the ever-loving CRAP out of me. His smile wasn't sweet and innocent like it usually was…no, it was evil and sinister looking, like, oh, I don't know-A MURDER'S?!

Bakura snickered at the sight of the fear in my eyes.

"What's wrong? Are you scared?" He asked.

HELL YEAH!

"…No, I'm okay…" I shuddered.

"I hope you aren't. Because we're going to play a game, and games are meant to be fun, right?" He said with that evil smile on his face.

"Y-Yeah…sure…" I said, with fear in my voice.

Now I'm starting to think that this was a bad idea…

"So…let's play a game."

To be cont'd…


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"WHAT?!" I yelled.

"Shh! Keep it down, Yusuke!" Ai said as she put her finger on my lips to silence me.

Of all the places she could have touched me, and she touches my lips. Damn it all…

"I'm sorry if it's strange to say it out of the blue like this, but, it's true…I'm in love with Ryou Bakura." She said while blushing.

And so, my heart broke into a million pieces, never to be fixed again. All of my hopes and dreams had failed me. I don't think my heart has the strength to go on, etc., etc…

"Yes. For some reason, he gives me a feeling that I have never felt before. My heart beats so fast when I see his face, or whenever I hear his voice…I think he could be the one." Ai said, smiling with that angelic smile of hers.

"But, Ai…you barely even know the guy! Why are you in love with a man you've never had a real conversation with?!"

Ai gave me a confused look. "Haven't you ever heard of 'love at first sight'? Because that's what it is. I'm positive he feels the same way. I'm sure of it…" She sighed.

"But there's a difference between love at first sight and just being…well…" I tried to explain this situation to Ai, but I was having a hard time finding the right thing to say without offending her.

"…someone who has no common sense?" Ai said sadly.

"No! I was just saying that you shouldn't rush into this and have your heart broken, you know?" I replied.

Ai widened her eyes. I think she finally realized what was wrong here.

"I guess you're right…" She said sadly.

I sighed hopelessly. "I'm sorry Ai. I just don't want you to be sad, that's all…"

Ai looked teary-eyed for a moment. But she wiped away the tears and forced a smile onto her face.

"It's alright, Yusuke. I just needed to get that off of my chest. I feel better after telling someone that. Thanks for listening to me!" She said.

"Ai…"

"Anyways, let's move on to something more important than that…" Ai said, picking up a book.

Me and Ai were working on a school project, and the two of us were in the local public library. Our history class was studying world religions this time around, and we were both paired together to write a report on mythological creatures in certain religions. But who gives a damn about old monsters, anyways? When a man like me is paired with a girl like that…mythological creatures are the least of my worries! Seriously, the odds of me and her getting paired together for this assignment were one in a million! This must be an act of god or something! (Lord, have I ever told you how much I love you?)

Yeah…a girl and a boy, together in a library…this is the place where relationships are born! (At least, in the animes anyways…) From what I have learned from living with a sister who loves romantic shojo animes, you are supposed to stand by a girl who can't reach a book on a really high shelf. Said girl is supposedly having a hard time reaching it, and she jumps up and down trying to grab it. Then, a handsome guy who is exceptionally tall (like me, per-say) comes along and pulls out the book for the girl and hands it to her.

"Why, thank you. You're such a gentleman!" The girl says, blushing.

"I would do anything to help such a beautiful girl such as you," The tall, handsome, male bystander says to the girl.

"Oh, my!" The beautiful girl says as the handsome man takes her into his arms.

"Kiss me, my love!" He says.

"OH,MY!" The girl squeals.

…Okay, sure. A real life situation like this wouldn't be as, well, straightforward as that last scene was, but it could be at least a bit close to the daydream that I just explained to you.

Alright! From here on, no more silly fantasies! If you want the girl, then go and get her, Yusuke! Make her change her mind about loving Bakura! He's got enough fan-girls already. I'm sure he'll get along just fine without you, Ai!

"Yusuke," Ai called out.

"Huh?" I said, turning around.

I saw that Ai was already down the aisle, looking for books in the back of the room.

"I'm coming!" I said, running to her.

Ai giggled. "Am I supposed to work on this report all by myself,Yusuke-kun?" She teased innocently.

"Heh…yeah, sorry about that. I was daydreaming. So, let's get to work." I told Ai.

"Yep! Let's do our best!" She said with a fierce look upon her face.

Oh god, she's so cute…

"Hmm…let's start with the succubus. Where would we find that, I wonder?..." Ai said, looking at the shelf in front of her.

I hastily looked for a book that could have this strange succubus creature in it. Then, Ai and I (Heh heh…"Ai and I". Get it? 'Cuz, you know "Ai" sounds like "I" and, um…yeah…) both at the same exact moment saw a book that read "Succubus 101" on the spine…and it sat on the very top shelf.

"Hmm…it's up pretty high…" Ai said, pointing her head in the direction of the book.

"What a strange name for a book…'Succubus 101'. But I guess that's what we need right now, huh?" She continued.

"Yeah…" I agreed, my eyes locked on the book.

"I'll get it!" Ai said, reaching for the book, just as I had planned.

"No Ai, I'll get it!" I yelled, reaching for the book.

Just as I reached for it, a librarian walked by with a cart of books. She looked like she was supposed to be putting the books back on the shelves, but me and Ai were her way.

"EXCUSE ME!" She yelled, ramming into me with her cart.

She must have been an elderly woman or something, because obviously she couldn't see where she was going. But I couldn't tell, because she wore a hood over her head.

Anyways, the librarian pushed me over with her cart, which sent me flying. I slammed right into Ai, pushing her over. I was right on top of her when we fell, and we both lied on the ground in a very…awkward position. The type of position that would make you think that we were a young, feisty couple who just didn't have the patience to wait until they made it home to do the dirty to each other. And this position was the result.

I heard the librarian snicker as she pushed her cart away.

Why, you dirty bi-

"Y-Yusuke…" Ai said with a look of embarrassment on her face.

She frowned, and she looked like she was about to cry. Ai blushed, and her face immediately looked like a tomato.

"Oh, god…" I said, jumping of off Ai.

"I'm so…so sorry…Ai…" I continued, my heart beating faster than it ever has before. I was literally on the verge of having a heart attack.

"No, it's okay, Yusuke. It was a simple little accident. It was nobody's fault." Ai said, her heart beating so hard that anyone within five feet of her could hear her loud heartbeat.

"Yes, it was…" I said, looking past Ai and in the direction of that rude librarian.

"I'll be right back." I said to Ai, running after the woman who bumped into the two of us.

"Wait, Yusuke!" Ai called out to me.

But I ignored her and ran after the librarian. And then, I saw the hooded woman push her cart into an elevator. She stepped in with it, and she glanced behind her shoulder and saw me. She grinned an evil grin, and the elevator doors closed.

"Wait!" I yelled.

But it was too late. She was on her way to one of the floors above me. I didn't know why, but I felt like I was being compelled to go after her. Something told me, "Don't just stand there! After her!" And up the stairs I went, following her to one of the floors above. I know this is going to sound stupid, but I kind of…knew she was going to be on the top floor, the fourth floor. Don't ask me why, but I found out I was right when I saw her standing without the cart, looking out the window.

I asked myself; Yusuke, why are you so interested in this stupid woman? Don't give this bitch the satisfaction! Just give it a rest and go back to your date-I mean, study session with Ai!

But I didn't listen to myself. I went right up to the woman and planned to give her an ear-full of some man-bitching.

"Hey! What the hell is your problem?" I yelled at the girl.

This woman wore a black hoodie and a pair of worn out blue jeans. When she turned to face me, she pulled the hood off of her head and let her long, silky, black hair flow.

"Wow…" I said in awe.

Despite the fact that this woman acted like a total bitch to me, I was in complete awe when I looked at her face. She was so, very unbelievably gorgeous. Her face was pale white, with no blemishes whatsoever. Her eyes were a dark red color (Those are contacts, right?) and she had the body of a super model. Tall and skinny, this woman was basically flawless. She gave me the same evil grin that she had given me earlier.

"Well, well, well! It looks like you followed me!" She laughed.

"Um…" I tried to say something, but words just couldn't come out.

"Yes? Have something to say? Come on now, you shouldn't stutter! It's quite rude to the person you're talking to!" She said.

I gulped and spoke to this beautiful girl.

"W-What was that back there? Did I do something to you for you to just ram into me with your damn cart?!" I yelled.

"No, I just like pissing you off, that's all." The woman snickered.

"…Who the hell are you, anyways?" I asked.

The girl looked confused. "What? Who am I? Don't you remember me?" She asked, pointing to her face.

I slowly began to remember her face. She was the weird substitute teacher from the other day. Yeah…that weird woman who wore the goth clothing.

"…Asuka Kiyoteru." I said, suddenly realizing the woman's identity.

"And the slowest horse reaches the finish line. Hooray!" Ms. Kiyoteru yelled as she clapped her hands.

I was so confused. Why did Kiyoteru come back to see me? Is she stalking me? Did come to my school to substitute my teacher just so she could be near me? I don't understand…

"Don't be confused, Yusuke. And don't worry, and I'm not stalking you. Good god, what do you take me for, a pedofhile? No, I don't believe I am." Kiyoteru said.

"Wait…how do you know my name? I never told you what it was." I said.

Kiyoteru smiled. "Does that scare you, Yusuke?"

"Um…yeah," I replied.

"Well, I'd suppose so. If it didn't, then I think I would have to be afraid of you. Do you think it will rain?" Kiyoteru asked.

"I-I don't know!" I said, confused by her randomness.

"I hope it does…" She said, staring out the window.

In the midst of all of the awkward weirdness, Ai ran up to me, sweating.

"Yusuke! There you are!" She yelled. "I've been looking all over for you!"

"Oh, Ai! I'm so sorry about that! I just-"

I stopped mid-sentence when Ai shut me up.

"-WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU DOING? YOU JUST RAN OFF WITHOUT TELLING ME WHERE YOU WERE GOING! I THOUGHT YOU DITCHED ME AND WENT TO GO AND TRY TO PUT THE MOVES ON THIS OLD HAG, YOU DIRTY BASTARD!" She yelled in my face.

Holy shit, did Ai just swear? Dear mother of god, this can only mean one thing…the apocalypse is coming.

"Calm down, Ai! I just needed to-"

"DON'T TRY TO CALM ME DOWN, YUSUKE! I'M SO TIRED OF MEN LEAVING ME FOR OTHER WOMEN!" Ai yelled.

"Wh-What?..." I asked, confused. Does she mean what I think she means?...

Ai stopped, suddenly realizing that she regretted saying that out loud.

"Yes, Yusuke. I've been cheated on by dozens of men. Almost every man I've been with has cheated on me, or has said that I…'leave nothing to the imagination'." Ai sighed. She looked like she would start crying again, and she let out a sob.

All of the people around us stopped and stared at the three of us, wondering what was wrong. God, this is embarrassing…

"Ai, please stop crying. I'm sorry! I won't run off and leave you again, I promise!" I said, trying to calm Ai down.

"I-I can't believe you'd leave me for this…this WHORE! She's got to be…be at least five years older than you…you're lovers with a teacher for god's sake!..and you…you…" Ai said to me between sobs.

"Oh, for the love of god, Ai! I'm not in love with this woman, and besides, what do you mean by saying that I would leave you for another woman?! We're not even a couple!" I explained to her.

Ai gasped. She cupped her hands over her mouth and blushed.

"Oh…oops. I'm sorry, Yusuke…" She said as she turned away, planning to run and hide.

"Wait, Ai-" I called out to her.

Suddenly, Kiyoteru grabbed Ai by her shirt collar and tugged her back over.

"I'm going to pretend you didn't just call me an old whore. Now, quit acting like a whiny little bitch and listen to what I have to say!" Kiyoteru said, giving Ai the look of death.

"Y-Yes ma'am! Please don't hurt me!" Ai said, squirming around like a complete spaz.

…Wait…so Ai didn't want me to leave her for another woman? COULD IT BE?...and why did she call Kiyoteru ma'am after the woman called Ai a bitch?

Kiyoteru sighed. "The reason I came here today was to talk to you two about something. We'll need to go somewhere more private to talk about it, though. Now, follow me!" She said, grabbing on to my sleeve and pulling me towards the elevator.

"Hell no!" I yelled, pushing her away. "Why should we trust you? We barely even know you! How do we know you're not going to kill us or something?!"

Kiyoteru grinned, and her red eyes flickered.

"Dear, you know that if I wanted to, I would. But, you two are far too, how should I put it…interesting. If I killed you right now, that wouldn't be any fun, would it? I mean, I'm just so bored! Humanity has become too…humane! There used to be so much drama in the world, but now…" She sighed. "It's no fun anymore…"

Me and Ai looked at each other. We both had the same idea; Haul ass.

"Hey! Are you paying attention to me?" Kiyoteru snapped.

Me and Ai turned, putting on fake smiles.

"Oh, yes! We hear you, loud and clear!" I said, sweating.

"Uh-huh! We were just thinking…um…" Ai looked down at the floor trying to hide her nervousness.

"We're hungry! Yeah…really hungry! Starving, in fact! Isn't that right, Ai?" I said nervously, turning to Ai.

"Eh?...oh, yes! We're very hungry! We were thinking that we should get some lunch!" Ai hastily replied.

I sighed with relief. "Yeah. So, we'll have to talk to you some other time, okay? Bye!"

"Really? If you're hungry, then we could talk about over lunch. Though, I suppose that would be a somewhat awkward conversation because-"

"-No," I said, cutting Kiyoteru off in mid-sentence. "We'd like it if we could eat by ourselves, thank you very much."

Kiyoteru scowled. "You're going to regret not hearing what I have to say, you little brat."

"If you'll excuse us," I said, holding Ai by the shoulder and pushing her forward.

"Alright, I'll come right out and say it if you're going to be difficult." Kiyoteru continued, with anger in her voice.

I sighed, turning to the annoying woman behind me and Ai. I thought that if she could get what she wanted to say off of her chest, she would leave us alone for once.

"Alright, alright! What is it that you wanted to say so damn badly?!" I yelled, giving myself a face-palm.

"And now you listen, you damn fool. Respect your elders from now on, for god's sake." Kiyoteru said.

"I'll show respect to my elders once they stop calling me a 'Damn fool'."

I shot back at her.

Kiyoteru growled at me, but she overlooked her anger towards me and continued to talk.

"I know it's hard to trust me after you've just met me, and I know that you probably won't believe me when I say it, but…" Kiyoteru looked away, looking like she was the guy who had to tell a family that one of their relatives passed away.

"Yes? Go on! We haven't got all day, you know!" I said.

"Please tell us, ma'am! What's the matter?" Ai urged.

"…one of your friends…" Kiyoteru mumbled.

"What?" My friends? What the hell is she going on about now?

"…is going to die soon."

To be cont'd…


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Well? Wanna make a move sometime today, Nozomi?" Bakura said.

My mind wandered around and around.

Man, this kid is creeping me out. Though, it's kind of hard to be scared of him when he looks like…that. He's so pretty and girly looking. What came over him when he let his hair grow out like that, anyways? Ugh, I'm hungry…so hungry…

I suddenly realized that I was still playing a game with Bakura.

"Oh! Right, right. I'm sorry. I was daydreaming. So, where was I?.."

I said as I continued the game.

"Okay! I'll first go to-"

My move was suddenly cut off by a strange ringing noise. The noise was coming from my pocket, it seemed. I reached into my pocket and took out my cellphone. I looked at the caller ID and saw that Yusuke was calling. What? Yusuke? What did he want?

"I'm sorry, it'll be just a minute," I said to Bakura.

"Take your time." He said.

I turned around and answered the call.

"Yusuke? What the hell? I'm busy!" I whispered angrily.

"Nozomi, for the love of god, help!" Yusuke yelled.

"Help? With what?" I asked.

"Get your mom's car and come pick us up ASAP! We're at the library!" Yusuke said, trying catch his breath between each word.

Was he running from something? Was someone after them?

"Yusuke, what's the matter? Is someone chasing you?" I asked frantically.

"Y-You could say that…"

"Can't you take a bus or something? I'm in the middle of something right now!" I yelled.

"Woman, this is a matter of life and death. We don't have time to wait for a damn bus. If you don't come save us, some psychopath who thinks that she is a vampire will come and KILL US!" Yusuke screamed.

What did he mean by "us"? Maybe he was out with Ai…

I sighed with disappointment. Looks like I'll have to go pick them up…

"Alright, Yusuke. I'll be right there."

"HURRY! PLEASE!" He yelled.

"Don't forget to say thank you! You should always say thank you when somebody does something nice for you!" A perky, girly voice yelled into the phone.

Yeah. That was definitely Ai.

"Just keep running, Ai! Look! Go hide in those bushes!" Yusuke yelled.

"Okay~!" Ai replied in a sing-song voice.

"Thanks, Nozomi." He said.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah…" I sighed, turning off the phone.

Come on! We literally just started the game and we already have to end it? What the hell? This isn't fair! I wanted to have at least a little fun this week! Just a little! Is that too much to ask for?

"I'm sorry, Bakura. I have to go pick my friends up at he library. They've gotten themselves into trouble again…" I said as I stood up, pushing the chair I sat on back under the table.

"What? Now?" He asked, confused.

"Yeah…I'm sorry. I know, I was really looking forward to it too, but we'll have to reschedule the game for later…"

I wanted to cry. Finally, I find someone who likes Monster World as much as I do and I have to end the game just as it begins. But, I shouldn't be selfish. My friends need me, and I won't turn my back on them just for some silly little game…

"That's too bad…too bad indeed…" Bakura said.

"Yeah. I've got to go. But, don't worry. We'll try again sometime soon, okay? I promise." I said, walking up to the door.

"So…does this mean that you surrender?" He asked.

Dude. I'm not playing anymore. Get over it.

"Yeah, sure. I surrender. White flag and all. Oh, lordy, lordy! I lose! Bye-bye, now!" I said, turning the knob on the door.

"Heh heh…" Bakura snickered.

Bakura let out a long, evil laugh. Why was he laughing? Was I that funny?

"That's too bad. It looks like you won't be picking up your friends today, Nozomi." He said, grinning an evil smile.

"Um…why wouldn't I? Are you…"

Bakura stood up from his chair. What was he doing? Was he trying to scare the ever-loving crap out of me? Because it's working.

"Bakura? What's going on? Is this a joke? Because it's not funny."

He walked towards me, and the closer he got, the farther I backed away. At this point, I was l leaning up against the wall behind me.

"Knock it off! I mean it, Bakura! I'm scared, okay?! You got me! Now stop playing around!" I yelled as fear filled my entire body.

I was literally on the verge of having a heart attack. It was getting hard to breath, and I felt the urge to scream. But for some reason, my throat just couldn't make even the tiniest noise.

"What the hell are you doing?!" I said, trying to catch my breath.

"You lost the game, Nozomi. Do you know what that means?" He asked.

"STOP IT!" I screamed.

"Penalty game."

As soon as he said that, everything went black.

"…Wh…What the-" I stood up and looked around.

I was so confused. I was still in Bakura's apartment, right where he had left me. But, he wasn't here. Where did he go? How did I pass out? Did he taze me or something? No…I definitely would have felt that. I checked myself. I didn't have any cuts or bruises. I didn't hurt anywhere. In fact, I felt wonderful. Better than I ever would have felt in a million years. But, still…how did I black out? What did he do to me? Whatever he did, I was still angry at him. Did he think it was funny, scaring me like that? I think I'll go give him a piece of my mind…and my foot up his ass.

"BAKURA!" I yelled, running through his living room and into his gaming room.

And there he was sitting at the table. He looked up at me. He widened his eyes in shock.

"WHAT?!" He yelled, standing up.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO ME, ASSWIPE?! DID YOU DRUG ME OR SOMETHING?! TELL ME BEFORE I SNAP YOUR NECK!" I screamed as loud as I could into Bakura's face.

"This…this can't be!" He said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"TELL ME, YOU BASTARD!" I went to grab Bakura's shirt collar, but I couldn't. I went straight through him.

"H-Huh?" I said, passing through Bakura.

He turned to face me. "You…how did you do this?" He asked.

"I…I…" I looked at my hands. They weren't see-through. Bakura…he must have drugged me. I must be high or something, because I don't think that I would pass through other people's bodies without being high.

"No…" I ran back to the front door. I gasped in fear and cupped my hands over my mouth.

My unconscious body was lying on the floor.

"No…NO!" I fell to my knees, trembling.

I held my head in my hands, crying. What was happening?

I looked at Bakura, my eyes filled with tears.

"Wh-What did you do to me? What?" I said, my voice weak.

Bakura grinned that evil smile again. He stared at me with those cold, dark looking eyes.

"Look, kid. You lost the game and you were supposed to be stuck in your little lead figure that you used in the game." He explained.

"WHAT?!" I yelled.

"I don't know how the hell you did it, but it rejected you. Your spirit just won't go into the damn thing." He said.

"Wait just a second! Are you saying you wanted to play a game with me just so you could seal my soul into the figure?!" I yelled, crying even more.

He laughed."Is there something wrong with that, Nozomi? Don't you like me? You could stay with me forever, you know. I don't know why, but your spirit just refuses to stay."

What the hell is he talking about?! Staying forever? Is this guy hiked up on drugs or what?

"Am I dead?! Did you kill me?! Am…am I a…ghost?" I asked, choking up.

"No, of course not. If I killed you, what fun would that be? Your soul wouldn't stay in the figure-no-it would go to heaven. But, I suppose it could also go to hell. What about, Nozomi? Have you done bad things to people? Have you sinned?" Bakura belted out another evil laugh.

This wasn't happening. I couldn't understand. I just couldn't. Bakura seemed so nice. He seemed so sweet. But…what the hell is this? He's really this…horrible psycho who has the powers of the devil? No…

"You…you're not Bakura, are you?"

"I don't know. Am I? Am I Bakura? Hmm…I wonder. What do you think?" He said.

This is…actually…happening? This is like something out of a horror movie…what's going to happen to me? What's going to happen to Yusuke? And Ai? And…Shinko? Oh, Shinko…I'm going to die without ever making up with her. I'm going to die without telling my parents that I love them for the last time. I'm going to die without telling any of my wonderful friends…goodbye.

And it's all his fault. Bakura…no…whoever is standing in front of me. The horrible, sinister thing standing in front of me is not Ryou Bakura…

…it is the devil.

To be cont'd…


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"-So I was all like,'Ain't nobody got time for that!' and she was like-"

"I'm sorry Ai, but we don't have time to talk!" I yelled, running in front of Ai.

"Aw! But I was getting to the best part! Yusuke! Please!" Ai whined.

"Alright, you can keep talking, just keep moving!"

"YAYZ!" She yelled while waving her hands in the air. "So like I was saying, she was all like, 'YOLO!' and I was like, 'Straight up!' and she was like-"

As Ai relentlessly went on about last Friday night, I tried to lose Miss Bella Swan back there. Nozomi would be here any minute to pick the two of us up with her mom's car, and I told her that we would be waiting at the library. Me and Ai took the bus here, which was an hour long drive.

The next bus doesn't come until 4:30, and it's 2:16 right now. We had planned on staying here at the library until 4:30, until she came along…so I guess I'm just running around the library with Ai, trying to lose that damned Kiyoteru. It's been a good, long thirty minutes we've been running around here. Maybe she's gotten tired and given up. Maybe she's actually come to her senses and realized that it's not right to go around stalking people saying that that person's friend is going to die. Maybe she's-

"Hi, honey! How's it going?"

…right in front of me.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Ai screamed and fell on her rear. She looked up, trembling from the surprise Kiyoteru had given her. I looked up as well, and saw that Kiyoteru was hanging upside down from a tree branch above.

"Hm? What's wrong, deary? Did I scare you?" She asked.

"Y-Y-YOU SURE DID!" Ai said, on the verge of tears.

"Oh, calm down. Don't be such a crybaby!" Kiyoteru said as she jumped down from the tree like some kind of ninja.

I pulled Ai up from the ground and we both stood there in front of the beautiful weirdo that stood before us.

"Like I was saying…one of your friends is going to die soon! Aren't you going to do anything about it?" Kiyoteru asked, folding her arms.

Oh, god. Here she goes again.

"Why, for the love of god, would you ever think that one of our friends is going to die? Do you think that you're some kind of psychic or something?! You supposedly predicted the future? If you are seeing visions like that, then you're obviously smoking some illegal drugs. If you're having trouble getting off of those drugs, then I know a guy who can help you with that, you know." I explained.

"I am not smoking drugs, you insolent mortal!"

Insolent mortal? Okay, this chick is definitely on drugs.

"I've been wondering about that too, Miss Kiyoteru. Why are you so fixed on the thought that one of our friends will die soon? And which one of our friends do you think will die?" Ai asked innocently.

Oh god, Ai. Please don't encourage her…

"Good question, mortal! But first, I'll have to tell you a secret that has to be kept between just the three of us…" Kiyoteru said.

"Secret?" Ai tilted her head in confusion.

"Is it a dirty secret? You're not gonna tell us about your boobs or something, right?" I asked.

Kiyoteru glared at me.

"Your friend has an unbelievably dirty mind, you know that?" She said, pointing at me.

"So I've heard…" Ai said.

What? Did Ai think I was a pervert?!

"Anyways…my secret is…" Kiyoteru whispered.

"Yes? Tell me! I'm anxious to know!" Ai said.

"…I'm a fallen angel."

Oh, god. Here we go.

"WHAT?" Ai asked in amazement.

"Mm-hmm. It's true." Kiyoteru said proudly.

"NO WAY," Ai blushed and smiled.

"Really? I thought you were a vampire." I said sarcastically.

"No, no, no! I'm not one of those walking corpses!" Kiyoteru said, waving her hands around.

"Oh, really? You don't say." This woman belongs in a mental hospital.

"But," She continued. "I do drink blood."

I gave myself a face-palm while Ai gasped in amazement.

I heard Kiyoteru's stomach growl. She gave Ai an evil smile.

"Want me to try it out on you?" She asked.

"SURE!" Ai yelled, throwing herself to Kiyoteru.

"-And we're backing away," I said, quickly pulling Ai back.

I pulled her over and start whispering to her.

"What the hell are you doing?! You don't just let some drug addict suck your blood!" I said.

"Sorry, Yusuke! I just wanted to see if she was serious or not." Ai said with a pleasant smile on her face.

"You see, I became a fallen angel when I rebelled against the gods…"

"Ugh…" I groaned.

"I had to obey their every order. I did every single thing they told me to do…but, even as an angel in heaven, there were times when it was like hell." Kiyoteru explained.

"But…why?" Ai asked.

"Because I was sick and tired of watching people die, that's why." Kiyoteru yelled angrily.

"As I looked down from heaven, I saw good people die in the most horrific ways. I saw mothers with their children die. I saw newly wed couples die right after their weddings. I saw the sick get cured from their diseases, and right after all of that, they died. I couldn't believe what I was seeing…" Kiyoteru started tearing up.

"If…If they were such good people, then why did they all have to die like that?! They should have savored the joys of life for as long as they could've! And they were all taken away for no good reason? Just like that?! I just don't understand…" Kiyoteru cried.

The fallen angel part, I didn't believe. But I could understand why Kiyoteru was so upset. Yes…it's cruel that young and innocent lives have to be taken away like that, but…

"-Stop it." I said, holding my hand up. "I've had enough. Let's go, Ai."

"But, Yusuke-"

It seemed as if Kiyoteru had finally realized she was crying. "I'm…I'm sorry for just bursting out like that…" She said, wiping away her tears. "…but, like I said, I questioned the gods. They didn't like that. They feared that I would increase my powers and go against them, starting a war. They all thought I would soon go as low as to sell my soul to Zorc…" Kiyoteru said.

"Eh? Who the hell is-" I couldn't finish my sentence, for Kiyoteru shut me up before I could.

"SHHHHHHHHHHH! DON'T USE HIS NAME IN VAIN LIKE THAT! HE'LL KILL YOU AND SEND YOU TO THE FIREY DEPTHS OF HELL!" Kiyoteru yelled, putting her pointer finger on my lips.

"Oh. Okay." I agreed.

"Okay?"

"Okay."

"Good. Now, I-"

I decided to tease Kiyoteru. Who was Zorc, anyways? He was probably just a part of Kiyoteru's drug induced visions…

"-WHO THE HELL IS Z-" Kiyoteru then jumped onto me and pushed me to the ground.

"This is some deep shit you're getting yourself into, Yusuke. Don't toy with the powers of the darkness." Kiyoteru said as she sat on me.

I pushed her off of me and we both stood up.

"As I was saying, your friend, Nozomi Takahashi, as I recall?"

"What about her? What did you do something to her? Because if you did, then I swear to god Kiyoteru, I'll-" I yelled.

"Calm down, Yusuke! I didn't do anything to your friend! But, something bad will happen to her soon if you don't-"

"WHAT?! ARE YOU SAYING THAT NOZOMI IS THE ONE WHO WIL DIE?!"

"Well…it's just…back when I was an angel in heaven, I saw the long list of people who were going to die. I was taught to memorize the names and collect some of the souls on the list by bringing them into the light. And your friend, Nozomi Takahashi, is set to die exactly three weeks from now." Kiyoteru explained.

"What?! How?!" Ai screeched.

"I…I was told that she was going to die a long and painful death. When I saw what she was going to die of, I just…"

I couldn't take this anymore. This woman had to be lying. She was giving us a huge load of bull…or was she?

"Okay. If you really are some rejected angel from heaven, then prove it. If you do, then I'll believe every word you're saying. I'll even go and save Nozomi's life. What do you say?" I asked.

Kiyoteru huffed. "Fine, you foolish mortal. I'll prove it to you."

Kiyoteru looked around. "Follow me." She said.

I elbowed Ai. "Let's break for it!" I whispered.

"Stop it, Yusuke. I think we can trust her." Ai said. She followed Kiyoteru.

"Wait, Ai!" I followed the both of them.

Kiyoteru ran away from the library and up the sidewalk. She went down turn here and a turn there. She was making me dizzy and confused.

"H-HEY! WHERE THE HELL ARE WE GOING?!" I yelled.

"We've made it," Kiyoteru said, making it to a clearing after a while. The three of us were in the middle of a large, grassy field. Trees were in a perfect line behind us, and there were a couple of cows here and there. We were on a farm in the middle of nowhere.

"Alright, we're here. Now all you have to do is prove to us that you're an angel." I said as I tried to catch my breath.

"A fallen angel." Kiyoteru corrected.

"Yeah, whatever…now, get on with it! It's getting late!"

"Nag, nag, nag! You're such a girl, Yusuke-chan!"

"KIYOTERU…" I growled.

"Alright. It's time. Watch closely, mortals." Kiyoteru laughed.

The sun went down and the sky turned black. The pure white, full moon shined above. This seemed like the setting for a horror movie…

"Do it, Kiyoteru!" I yelled happily.

I sighed. "Ai, I'm sorry to break it to you, but Kiyoteru isn't a-" I stopped looking at Ai to glance at Kiyoteru. When I looked at her, I literally pissed my pants.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" I yelled.

I watched in amazement as a pair of huge, pure black wings spread across the darkened sky. Kiyoteru turned to face me and Ai, her red eyes glowing in the dark. She flapped her wings.

"Now do you believe me, Yusuke?" She asked.

"Ah…um…you're…a…a…" I was in complete and total awe. (And I wasn't joking about the pissing my pants thing, either. I was that surprised.)

Kiyoteru chuckled. "Yes, Yusuke. I am a fallen angel."

To be Cont'd…


End file.
